Title: Rememories – Pt. 14
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Emergency! is owned by Universal and Mark VII Productions. I make no profit from my imagination—only a personal joy and peace.
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Johnny's eyes popped wide open when he heard Jenny call for him. He had pulled himself as far as he could and he was just on the edge of the campsite. "Jenny, I'm over here." He called out to her. He was still shivering and felt like his body temperature would never return to normal. He had relished the warmth of the morning sun, but it did nothing to warm his chilled bones. "Bring my sleeping bag, will you Princess?" He called to her, hoping to not alarm her.
Jenny took about ten steps in the direction of Johnny's voice and then she stopped. She wanted to scream, to run, to forget all about what she just saw, but her love for her Uncle overrode all those senses and she rushed to his side. "What happened, Uncle Johnny?" She asked as her tears began to flow. "How bad are you hurt?"
He had managed to roll over onto his back, so she was unable to see the blood that undoubtedly flowed from the bullet wound. She could see blood on his face and his body was covered in mud and dirt. He was shivering violently. "Just get my sleeping bag, Princess. I need to get warmed up here, and then we can take care of the rest, okay?" He tried to sound matter-of-fact and not let his distress show. He thought it worked when her tears dried quickly and she went to the tent.
Johnny was within about three feet of the fire pit he had made the day before. He scooted the best he could to get closer now. The fire had now died out and all that was left were cold, dark ashes. He needed to get warm…the sleeping bag would help…but, he needed the fire. Jenny returned with the bag and she knelt beside Johnny to help wrap him into it. "Lift your legs, Uncle Johnny. I will slip it underneath you and then zip it up on the other side."
"If only it were that easy, Kiddo." He thought. "It's hard for me to move my legs, Jen. If I can get rolled onto my side, can you shove it under me?" He asked through chattering teeth. Jenny nodded agreeably. Johnny maneuvered himself with his arms and torso and he finally was able to turn onto his side. When he did, he heard Jenny draw in a deep breath.
"You're bleeding, Uncle Johnny." She cried out. "Why are you bleeding?" She pleaded.
Johnny only wanted to be warm right now, so he refocused the child. "Jen, just put the bag under me. I can't hold this position very long, Sweetie. Just put the bag underneath me." He guided as calmly as he could. She did as she was told. He fell back onto the now warm and soft earth. He directed her to help him zip up the side. Before she did, she took off his jacket that he had given her the night before and draped it across his chest.
"Here, this will help, too." She said as she continued with the zipper. Once he was all zipped in, he sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "Don't leave me Uncle Johnny! Please don't leave me!" She cried out as the tears began again. She rocked back and forth as she continued crying.
"'M not gonna leave you, Peanut. I'm just really tired 's all. I will be okay. I promise." His thoughts flew back to the promise he made to his men in the building…the promise that he had broken. He quickly returned to the present and continued to reassure his young charge. "I'm gonna be okay. But, I need your help. Are you ready to help me, Princess?" He asked.
Jenny sniffled and wiped her tears away. "Yes, Uncle Johnny. Tell me what you need me to do." She said. He looked at her with pride in his eyes. He could be no more proud if she was his own daughter.
"How much blood did you see on my back?" He started with the worst part to get it over with. Like ripping a Band-Aid off a wound.
She shuddered at the thought, but answered. "The back of your shirt at the bottom and the top of your jeans are covered in it." She fought the urge to vomit and swallowed hard.
"Okay, now I need you to start a fire. There should be some kindling over by the wood pile. The matches are in my…" Johnny thought, "Oh, shit, the matches were in my pocket when I fell in the creek." He though fast. "Okay, Jen, go in the tent and look in the small pocket on the side of my pack. There should be some dry matches there." Jenny went to collect the items needed to start a fire.
Her Uncle and Father had taught her how to start a campfire and she had earned a badge in the Brownie Girl Scouts for mastering the feat. She was the only one in her troop that could start a campfire. She took great care in lighting the match. She always turned her head to the side as she struck the match. She remembered that Uncle Johnny told her that pieces of the matches' head could splinter and fly into her eyes, so she should turn away as she struck any match.* The kindling caught fire quickly and she tended it carefully, blowing gently to ensure it continued to burn. She slowly stacked larger pieces onto the growing flame and then a larger log was placed as fuel.
Once she was sure the fire was going, she returned to Johnny's side. He had closed his eyes again and she hoped he was just asleep. She put a gentle hand on his chest to feel his breathing patterns. She was rewarded as he opened his eyes to look at her. "'M okay, Jen. You did a good job with the fire. I can feel it from here."
"Now what, Uncle Johnny?" Jenny asked. Johnny looked into her sad, questioning eyes and answered.
"Now, we wait."
"Wait for what?" The child exclaimed.
"We wait for help to come. I can't walk outta here, and I'm sure not gonna let you go trekking out there on your own…so, we wait. Your Dad and Mom will miss us when we don't show up on time. Your Dad will know where we are and come looking. He will come, Jen. He will come." He encouraged the girl. Johnny looked at the position of the sun.
"It's about 10:00 right now. We're due home around 2:00. They will miss us by 3:00 or 3:30 and come looking. You'll be home in time for dinner at 6:00." Johnny laid out the timeline. He saw Jenny's face fall as she realized how long they would be there. "I have lots of stories that will keep us busy, Princess. Lots of stories…" He trailed off, still shivering.
"But, you're hurt Uncle Johnny. What kind of rememories will you have now? We were 'sposed to have some fun, not this." Jenny cried again. Johnny pulled his right arm from the sleeping bag and put it around the crying child. He drew her close to him and put her head on his chest.
"Anytime I am with you, Peanut, I always have good rememories. Always." He patted her back as she continued to cry into his chest. He was growing warmer and hoped that was a good sign. Jenny slowly started to rock back and forth again while she cried. The rhythm of the movement lulled them both to sleep.
TBC
A/N: The match story is true. A friend of mine in the Girl Scouts lit a match and the head of the match splintered and a burning piece of the matchhead hit her eye! We had to rush to some "backwoods" clinic in the middle of the night to get her treated. Being her best friend and having a badge in First Aid, I had treated her on the way to the clinic! Luckily, there was no long-term damage done, but I bet she still turns her head to the side when lighting a match!